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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wound — an injury
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. roll — a list
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kid — child
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. kid — to tease
  18. lean — thin
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com